Two weeks ago, I ran the Grindstone 100M by @grindstonetrailrunningfestival. I finished in 29:15:14, placing 58/300 overall and 54/259 men. In the process, I completed my first UTMB Event, first Hardrock Qualifier, and second WSER Qualifier.
The race featured over 20k ft. of elevation gain on difficult terrain amidst consistent rainfall. I commiserated with others over the course conditions, with runners commenting that the race was "sadistic" and "designed to torture us".
While I felt strong initially, I had to slow down as the race progressed due to leg pain and general fatigue. Truly, there were times when I felt like my spirit was broken. This isn't acceptable, and I need to improve my mental toughness for future races.
I am incredibly grateful to Charles Cai, Joanne Wong, and Lynn Miao for crewing for me:
Charles: / charlescai9
Joanne: / jojoshmojo
Lynn: / lynn.miao
Charles spent over 11 hours with me as we slogged through 37 miles together. His presence and encouragement really uplifted me during my lowest moments.
Joanne tackled the last monster climb of the race with me, all while excitedly cheering for every runner we encountered. Additionally, as always, Joanne was more prepared for this race than I was, planning out every last detail so that I could focus on running.
I decided to register for this race after Lynn told me "If you do this, we will come help you." Time and time again, Lynn's unwavering support of my running ambitions has pushed me to pursue new heights.
Special thanks to friends who helped in a variety of ways, including Samantha Dong, Tim Decker, Felipe Toribio, Ting Li, Harrison Greenberg, A Shen, Justin Portes, Victor Li, Kelly Cheung, D Salim, Jaime Chien, Jessica Yao, David Lewie, and others.
Special thanks to all the volunteers. Everyone was so energetic and encouraging at aid stations, highlighted by the volunteer at Dowell's Draft who said "Sebastian, you gotta leave because I loveee you!"
Special thanks to my running communities in New York, including Run for Chinatown, Asian Trail Mix, Old Man Run Club, and On Running NYC.
Run For Chinatown: / runforchinatown
Asian Trail Mix: / asiantrailmix
Old Man Run Club: / oldmanrunclub
On Running NYC: / onrunycunofficial
Finally, on a personal note, it's crazy to think that I ran my first race less than a year ago. This is only the beginning, and I'm excited for what's next!
Connect With Sebastian!
Strava: / strava
Strava Activity for 2023 Grindstone 100M: / strava
Instagram: / sebastian.chiu
Footage by Sebastian Chiu, with additional footage from Charles Cai, Joanne Wong, and Lynn Miao.
Race Expo and Bib Pick-Up: 0:00
Starting Line: 0:59
Lick Run 1 (Mile 5.7): 3:03
Wolf Ridge (Mile 11.5): 4:35
Reddish Knob (Mile 20.4): 5:48
Little Bald Knob (Mile 24.4): 7:09
North River Gap 1 (Mile 33.0): 8:05
Lookout Mountain (Mile 38.7): 9:05
Dowell's Draft 1 (Mile 46.2): 10:06
Dry Branch Gap 1 (Mile 53.1): 11:11
Cold Springs (Mile 60.1): 13:10
Dowell's Draft 2 (Mile 72.5): 14:17
Magic Moss (Mile 77.9): 16:20
Camp Todd (Mile 82.9): 17:15
North River Gap 2 (Mile 92.9): 18:07
Finish Line: 18:58